Missions Against Munda

December 2, 1942
(Army Forces in South Pacific Area) American bombers based at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal begin almost daily attacks on Munda Point, New Georgia to prevent the Japanese from constructing an airfield there.

December 6, 1942
(Army Forces in South Pacific Area) P-39s strafing Munda on New Georgia Island discover trucks, steam rollers and other construction equipment, and evidence of two airfields under construction. B-17s will bomb Munda 21 times in December and continue to hit it in Jan 43, as the Japanese continue to work at building the strips despite the constant air strikes.

December 9, 1942
(Army Forces in South Pacific Area) RNZAF 3 Squadron Hudsons and American B-17s bomb the airfield at Munda, No aircraft are lost.

December 11, 1942
(13th AF) B-17s bomb the airfield at Munda, New Georgia Island with no losses.

December 12, 1942
(13th AF) B-17s begin a series of daily attacks on the Japanese airfields nearing completion at Munda

December 16, 1942
(13th AF) B-17s of the 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy) attack the airstrip at Munda, New Georgia Island. They are met by 16 Zekes; the B-17s claim four Zekes with the loss of one B-17.

December 19, 1942
(13th AF) B-17s, escorted by P-38s, hit the airfield at Munda, New Georgia. They are attacked by 20 Zekes; the Americans claim three Zekes with no American losses.

December 24, 1942
(USN & 13th AF) Nine SBDs, nine P-39s, four P-38s and four F4Fs attack the airstrip at Munda, New Georgia Island.; they are met by 14 Zekes. The Americans claim 14 Zekes shot down, seven by two F4F pilots while four P-39s pilots of the 12th Fighter Squadron, 15th Fighter Group get five and a P-38 pilot of the 70th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group got one. The SBDs destroyed ten Zekes on the ground as they were taking off. There are no US losses.

December 31, 1942
(13th AF) B-26s of the 69th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 38th Bombardment Group (Medium), escorted by P-38s and P-39s, attack the airfield at Munda.

January 4/5, 1943
(USN) Night shore bombardment of Munda

January 10, 1943
(13th AF) B-26s attack Munda, with the loss of one aircraft.

January 11, 1943
(13th AF) B-26s and P-39s hit Munda

January 15, 1943
(USN & 13th AF) SBDs with F4F and P-39 escort bomb a cargo ship off Munda; they are met by 12 Zekes; seven are shot down with the loss of one US fighter.

January 16, 1943
(13th AF) Munda is bombed

January 19, 1943
(13th AF) B-17s, escorted by P-38s and P-40s, bomb the runway and revetments at Munda

January 21, 1943
(13th AF) B-26s and P-39s pound a bivouac and other targets at Munda

January 27, 1943
(13th AF) Six B-26s and eight P-39s attack the airfield at Munda

January 29, 1943
(13th AF) B-26s and P-39s hit Munda Airfield

January 30, 1943
(13th AF) AA positions and the airfield area at Munda are pounded by B-17s, B-26s, P-39s and P-40s

January 31, 1943
(13th AF) P-39s, P-38s and P-40s, and other Allied fighters, carry out sweeps over Munda

February 2, 1943
(13th AF) B-26s, P-38s and P-39s attack Munda Airfield

February 3, 1943
(USN, USMC, 13th AF) P-39s, P-38s and P-40s, along with Navy and Marine aircraft, attack Munda Airfield

February 4, 1943
(USN) Navy aircraft hit Munda Airfield on New Georgia

February 8, 1943
(USN & 13th AF) P-38s and Navy aircraft bomb Munda Airfield

February 9, 1943
(USN & 13th AF) P-38s join Navy aircraft in attacking

February 10, 1943
(USN, 13th AF) P-38s and Navy aircraft attack Munda Airfield

February 11, 1943
(13th AF) B-26s, P-38s and P-39s bomb the airfields at Munda

February 12, 1943
(USN, 13th AF) P-38s, along with Navy aircraft, attack the Munda area, hitting AA B-26s and P-39s follow with a strike on the Munda Airfield

February 14, 1943
(USN & 13th AF) P-39s and Navy aircraft bomb and strafe Munda Airfield and hit AA positions and other targets at Munda Point.

February 17, 1943
(USN & 13th AF) P-39s join Navy fighters and dive bombers in a strike against Munda Airfield

February 18, 1943
(13th AF) B-24s pound the airfield at Munda

February 20, 1943
(USN & 13th AF) During the night of 19/20 Feb and day strikes, P-39s and Navy aircraft attack the Munda area, hitting the airfield and nearby Lambeti and Munda Point.

March 2, 1943
(13th AF) P-40s, P-38s and a single PB4Y fly photographic reconnaissance over Munda Airfield.

March 7, 1943
(13th AF) Eight B-24s bomb Munda.

March 8, 1943
(13th AF) Light B-24 strike on Munda.

March 9, 1943
(13th AF) B-24s bomb the airfields at Munda

March 12, 1943
(13th AF) Light B-24 strike on Munda.

March 13, 1943
(13th AF) Light B-24 strike on Munda.

March 15, 1943
(13th AF) Single B-17s hit Munda Airfield

April 13, 1943
(USN & 13th AF) P-38's and Navy aircraft bomb the airfield at Munda

May 2, 1943
B-17s hit Munda Airfield. P-38's and P-39's join Navy aircraft in pounding the runway area at Munda.

May 6, 1943
P-40's and Navy dive bombers and fighters hit Munda Airfield

May 10, 1943
P-38's join Navy and Marine aircraft in a strike against gun emplacements, runway, and revetments at Munda Airfield.

May 14, 1943
B-24's fly early evening snooper strikes against Munda

May 28, 1943
P-38's and P-40's, along with naval aircraft, attempt a strike on the Kolombangara area and Munda but are hampered by bad weather. Some of the Navy TBF bombers manage to bomb the runway and revetment area at Munda

June 9, 1943
P-40's, and P-38's' pound the airfields at Munda.

June 27, 1943
A single heavy bomber on armed reconnaissance bombs Munda Airfield

June 30, 1943
B-25's and US Navy dive bombers bomb Munda Airfield

July 3, 1943
B-25's bomb the airfield and AA positions at Munda

July 5, 1943
B-24's over Buin fail to find shipping and bomb Munda

July 12, 1943
(13th AF & USN) Several fighters join US Navy dive bombers in strikes on AA and bivouacs in the Munda area

July 25, 1943
The final push on the Japanese base at Munda opens with a bombardment by 7 destroyers and the heaviest air attack in the South Pacific (SOPAC) Theater to date; 170+ B-24's, B-25's, B-17's, TBF's, and SBD's, covered by 70+ fighters, pound the target thoroughly, dropping more than 145 tons of bombs in little more than a half hour; later in the afternoon 10 more B-24's, with fighter cover, bomb Bibolo Hill, and SBD's and TBF's dive-bomb gun positions; and later in the day, gun positions NE of Kindu Village are hit. The 43d and 37th Infantry Divisions open the ground assault against the firmly entrenched enemy.

July 27, 1943
8 P-38's and 70+ US Navy and  Marine Corps aircraft again attack the Munda area on New Georgia Island, hitting positions on Bibolo Hill and targets at Gurasai, Munda Point, and Munda Airfield

July 31, 1943
17 P-40's and P-39's join 90+ US Navy and Marine Corps aircraft in pounding guns and defensive positions on Bibolo Hill as Allied ground forces close in on airfield at Munda.

August 1, 1943
P-40's and US Navy aircraft again hit Munda bombing AA positions, ammunition dumps, and other targets

 

 

Japanese Missions Against Munda

July 2, 1943
(JAAF) 18 Ki-21 Sallys of the 14th Sentai (misidentified as Bettys) attack the newly landed American forces on the beachheads of Munda and Rendova, without loss and unusually accurate results.

July 4, 1943
(JAAF) 16 Ki-21Sallys of the 14th Sentai (misidentified as Bettys), escorted by Oscars and Zeros, attack the newly landed American forces on the beachheads of Munda and Rendova, they are met by heavy anti-aircraft fire and fighters, losing five bombers, and shooting down three American fighters.